Perspectives Winter/Spring-2017

28 • NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Audiology FORT LAUDERDALE NSU’s Student Academy of Audiology (SAA) has an active chapter that advocates for the audiology profes- sion. Fourth-year student Kelly Sharpe, who was the first government relations chair, created the position and initiated advocacy trips for the college’s SAA chapter. This was accomplished through involvement in the local community, letter-writing campaigns, and travel to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. “My main vision of SAA advocacy was to spread the word on who we are as a field,” Sharpe said. “We do so much more than a standard hearing test. I am working very hard to obtain my professional degree, and I wanted all SAA members to feel the same way I did.” Second-year student Kasia Baginski said it was refresh- ing to see so many students participating. “The SAA encourages advocating through strength in numbers,” she said. “This is evident with the number of students who participate in advocacy events. I was grateful to participate in a local advocacy trip to visit U.S. Senator Marco Rubio.” During the trip, students met with Rubio’s staff members to discuss legislation and bills involving audiology and hearing-related health care issues. “Advocating at Marco Rubio’s office was a great experience,” said second-year student Nathalie Gil. “Representing our field face-to-face with Senator Rubio’s staff members really allowed me to see why educating our community and local government is so important. The issues are apparent and obvious to us, but staffers did not realize how our issues directly affect their constituents.” For the second year, SAA students and faculty members traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate on Capitol Hill. The students spent hours preparing for their briefing with Kate Thomas and Marilyn Richmond, government relations staff members for the American Academy of Audiology. The students met with key congressional office represen- tatives to express support for the Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act (S. 315, H.R. 1882) and their opposition and concerns regarding the Veterans Hearing Aid Access and Assistance Act (S. 564), Veteran’s Access to Hearing Health Act of 2015 (H.R. 353), and Medicare Audiology Services Enhancement Act (H.R. 116). Audiology Students Lobby Congress on Capitol Hill BY ERICA B. FRIEDLAND, AU.D., DEPARTMENT CHAIR AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR NSU audiology students and faculty members pose with American Academy of Audiology lobbyists.